Beneath the Surface- Story Twelve: My's Alternate Season 4
by Mychand
Summary: While on vacation in Florida, String, Dom, Caitlin, and Saint John find a mysterious treasure while fishing in the waters just off of the coast. But, instead of good fortune, the treasure brings them a lot of bad luck and mishaps. Is someone behind all of this or is it all caused by a curse?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Caitlin walked into her and String's bedroom at the beach house that they had rented in Florida with Saint John and Dom. String was lying in bed with only his bathing suit on and was waiting for Caitlin to get ready. She quickly went into the adjoining bathroom with her bathing suit in hand.

"Hurry up in there," he said. "I'd like to get a little alone time on the beach while they are out fishing."

Caitlin walked out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a tiny bikini. She smiled when she caught the look on String's face.

"Why hit the beach?" she asked. "We can have just as much fun right here."

Caitlin dove onto the bed and String immediately moved closer to her. He began kissing her neck and continued down the small of her back before untying her bathing suit top with one finger. She giggled as he moved on top of her and continued his kisses down her chest. Next he untied the side strings of her suit bottom and continued his kisses down her belly. Before he could go on further he thought he heard the front door open and shut.

"String!" yelled Dom. "Hey String? Where are you?"

"Damn him," said String. "He has the worst timing of anyone I know." Then he yelled. "We're in here Dom. We'll be right out."

Caitlin sat up and Hawke quickly helped her tie her bathing suit back on. "Oh well," she said. "We can continue this later."

Hawke winked at her. "You bet we will," he replied. Then he stopped a moment and looked at her again. He walked over to the dresser and pulled out one of his t-shirts. "Here, put this on. Saint John doesn't need to see you in that bikini."

"What's wrong with it?" she asked jokingly. "I was going to wear it out to the beach."

String walked up to her and kissed her before responding. "Please don't," he said. "I'd kind of like it if you saved this one just for me."

"Okay," she replied. "But I'm going to wear the top with shorts out on the boat tomorrow."

String grumbled but finally didn't object. He knew he really didn't have much say in the matter anyway.

The two walked out into the main living area of the house to find Saint John lounging on the couch and Dom in the kitchen.

"I thought you two were going fishing?" asked Hawke.

"We were," replied Saint John. "But, a storm's coming in so we had to come back early. It's just as well. I think the two of you should have come with us anyway. It'll be more fun that way."

"Not for us," whispered Caitlin.

"Huh?" asked Saint John.

"Oh, nothing," replied Caitlin while slightly blushing. "It sounds like fun Saint John. We already planned to go tomorrow."

String shot her a disappointed look. "Yeah, we're going tomorrow," he replied. "Why don't we find something for lunch now though?"

"Great," said Dom. "We'll go first thing in the morning. Oh, and I have lunch covered. You two just relax and go back to doing whatever you were doing."

String smiled. "Uh, we were just going to go out to the beach," he lied. "I guess the weather will keep us in now."

Dom looked at Caitlin and then at String. "Nice t-shirt," he said sarcastically.

Caitlin laughed. "Hawke doesn't like my bikini," she replied.

"That's not true," replied String. "What I don't like is anyone else seeing her bikini."

"Hey, my mama always said if you got it, flaunt it," said Dom with a laugh.

String shot him a dirty look. "She's not your mama," he replied. "Come on Cait; let's sit out on the porch."

The two could hear Dom and Saint John laughing as they walked out onto the back porch of the house that overlooked the ocean. It had a cover and several beach chairs lined up along the back of the house. They sat down beside each other and held hands as they watched the storm move in from the ocean. With it came a light refreshing breeze.

"Wow, that feels great," said Caitlin. "I love it here. I enjoy watching storms come in. I use to do this quite often when I lived down here."

String squeezed her hand. "It is pretty relaxing," he said. "This is just what we needed after the tough few months we've had."

"I agree," she replied as she leaned over and kissed him thoroughly.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A

The next morning the group rented a boat and headed out on the water to fish. Caitlin preferred to just soak up the sun and enjoy the view. She let the guys do the fishing. Normally, she enjoyed it but this time around she decided to pass.

They dropped anchor at a spot Dom thought looked promising. In no time the three men had their poles in the water and were relaxing and waiting for the fish to bite.

"String, will you help me and put suntan lotion on my back," asked Caitlin.

String smiled and got up to join her towards the front of the boat. He grabbed the bottle of lotion and applied it liberally to her back and shoulders. Caitlin enjoyed the fact that he took his time to rub the lotion in thoroughly.

"Damn you're good with your hands," she said with a smile.

"You two quit while you're ahead," said Dom. "Were fishing. There's no time for other nonsense."

"Nonsense?" asked String. "What nonsense?" He winked at Caitlin before going back to fishing.

About a half hour later Saint John thought he had something on his line. He pulled and pulled but couldn't get it out of the water.

"I don't think it's a fish," he said disappointed. "I think it's caught on something." He grabbed his snorkel and mask. "String, want to go down with me and check it out?"

"Sure, why not," he replied.

The two men jumped off of the boat and dove down into the water. Caitlin and Dom watched intently as they surfaced and then dived back in again.

"What is it?" asked Caitlin. "Do you see anything?"

A few moments later, Saint John came back to the surface with a small trunk about two feet in length and a foot wide. String helped him with it as Dom assisted the men back onto the boat.

"What is that?" asked Caitlin. "Looks like a little treasure chest."

Dom studied the box carefully. It was covered in symbols and strange writing. "Uh oh," he said. "I don't think I like this."

"What is it?" asked String.

"These symbols," replied Dom. "I've seen them before. They mean that the person or people who possess this item will have bad luck."

"What?" said String. "Do you really believe that? Now that's what I call nonsense."

"I'm not sure," said Dom. "I've never seen it myself but I've heard stories over the years from guys who found artifacts like this and things didn't go well for them."

"Don't worry Dom," said Saint John. "That's just and old wives tale. Let's see if we can get it open and check out what's inside."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

After several attempts, the group realized that they wouldn't be able to open the chest until they got back to the beach house.

"It's just as well," said Dom. "Let's go back to fishing. That's what we came all the way out here for in the first place."

"Okay," replied Saint John. "I have a good feeling about this spot. We just might be having a big fish dinner tonight."

"Well, I'm not cleaning them," Caitlin yelled. "I'm on vacation!"

String laughed. "You never want to clean them even when you're not on vacation."

Caitlin shot him a half smile. "Exactly," she replied. "Who wants to smell like fish?"

Several hours went by and none of the men caught even one fish. Caitlin was still enjoying the sun and had fallen asleep.

"Guys," I think we need to head in now," said Saint John.

The three looked out on the horizon and noticed that the normal afternoon storm was starting to roll in.

String nudged Caitlin and she sat up. "What's going on?" she asked.

"We're heading back," he said. "It looks like a storm is heading this way."

"Oh, okay," she said. "I think I've gotten enough sun for one day."

"Yeah, we don't need you to get sunburn," teased Saint John. "Then we'll have a grumpy String for days because he won't be able to lay a hand on ya."

Caitlin blushed. "Saint John!" she yelled while scrunching her face at him.

Dom and String couldn't help but laugh.

Saint John turned the boat around and they headed back towards the shore. They were far enough ahead of the storm but he was still in a hurry to get back. He felt he shouldn't take any chances because he had heard so many horror stories of people stranded at sea for days.

"Slow down Saint John," said Dom. "We have plenty of time to get back. The storm is about five miles out."

Just as he spoke, the boat hit a larger than normal wave. Caitlin who was now sitting towards the back of the craft screamed as she was thrown from the boat, hitting her head on the side as she went overboard.

"Caitlin!" yelled Hawke as he jumped in after her.

Saint John stopped the boat and followed String into the water. Both men searched frantically for her. String's heart nearly stopped when after several minutes she didn't come back to the surface.

"Caitlin!" he continued to scream each time he surfaced. He went back under and the next time he came up, he saw Saint John holding on to an unconscious Caitlin. He swam over to them and with Dom's help, they were able to get her back onto the boat before climbing back on themselves.

Saint John laid her on the bottom of the boat. Her stillness scared them all.

String tried not to panic as he immediately began mouth to mouth resuscitation. At first Caitlin didn't respond. He continued giving her breaths. "Come on baby, please breathe," he begged. "You can't do this to me. Please breathe."

After several tense moments, she started coughing and slowly tried to sit up.

"Take it easy Caitlin," Hawke said gently. "Saint John, hand me that towel over there."

String wrapped Caitlin in the large beach towel and eased her over into one of the boat seats. "Just relax, we'll be back on shore soon," he told her.

"Ow, she said, "My head is killing me."

"You hit the side of the boat before you went over," said Dom. "I can't believe that wave. It's like it came out of nowhere. I tell ya String, I think that chest has something to do with it. If we don't get rid of it soon, who knows what else could happen."

"Dom, this was just a fluke," replied String. "You need to quit believing in all that hocus pocus stuff."

"Yeah, well think about it String," he said. "We've been out here all day and caught absolutely no fish and then Caitlin has this accident. I don't think it's all a coincidence."

"I do," replied Saint John. "You just don't want to admit you picked a bad spot for fishing."

"Humph," said Dom. "Mark my words. That thing is bad news, you'll see."


	3. Chapter 3

_FYI_: _This story will have a lot more character interaction (especially Cait and String) than I usually write. I just can't seem to help myself. It's too much fun. _

**Chapter 3**

Within the hour, the four were back at the beach house. String kept his arm around Caitlin's waist as they strolled up the walkway to the front door. Once inside, Saint John plopped back down on what was becoming his usual spot on the couch.

"I guess we'll be going out for dinner," said Dom. "You guys want to go and check out that restaurant by the pier?"

"I'm in," yelled Saint John.

"I don't know," replied String as he reached up and touched Caitlin lightly on the cheek. "Caitlin, how's your head feeling?"

Caitlin gave him a weak smile. "It's okay, I'll be fine," she said. "I think all of the sun and everything has left me kind of drained though. I could use a nap."

"Okay, a nap it is," said String while escorting her to their bedroom. "Let's get you out of these wet clothes first."

Dom couldn't resist speaking up. "Figuratively speaking?" he asked with a chuckle.

String laughed. "Nope, literally speaking," he replied with confidence.

"Oh you guys are a riot," Caitlin said sarcastically.

Saint John gave them all a strange look. "Did I miss something here?"

"Yes!" they all replied in unison.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AA

A few hours later, Caitlin woke from her nap and looked over at String who was lying there staring at her and fidgeting with the ring on her finger.

She smiled at him and leaned over and kissed him. "You like playing with that ring, don't you?" she asked. "You do that a lot." Then she thought a moment. "You seem to stare at it a lot too. Why is that?"

String reached for her and pulled her closer to him before kissing her again. "I love what it means I guess," he replied. "It means that you're all mine."

Caitlin smiled at him again. "I like the sound of that," she replied. "Oh, look at time. I think I'd better get a shower and start getting ready. I don't want to hear Dom complaining about how long it takes me."

String watched as Caitlin climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom. He figured he would get a few more minutes of sleep before he got ready. He heard her turn on the water and then within moments, she stood in the doorway wearing nothing but her engagement ring. String sat up and stared at her.

"Well, aren't you coming to join me?" she asked. "We can get ready a lot faster this way."

String laughed as he jumped out of bed. "Uh, somehow I don't think this will result in us getting ready faster but I'll go along with it," he said.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A

Meanwhile, Dom and Saint John were playing cards in the kitchen area of the beach house. Dom liked that he could sit in the big bay window and look out at the ocean.

"Looks like you win again," replied Saint John. "I should know better than to play cards with you."

Dom laughed. "Ah, you'll never learn kid," he replied. "Oh, I hear the water running. It looks like they are up and getting ready. I'm starving. Dinner sounds good right about now."

Saint John smiled. "Dinner always sounds good to you."

Dom shot Saint John a dirty look before changing the subject. "What are you going to do about that box over there? I tell ya, I can't stand the thought of it even being in the house."

"Quit worrying Dom," replied Saint John. "Nothing bad is going to happen because of that box. I figured we'd take it to a locksmith after we eat and see if they can get it open. I'm dying to know what's inside."

"Not the words I'd use at this point," replied Dom. "But, that's a good idea."

A little while later String strolled into the kitchen toweling his hair dry.

"Boy, I didn't think you'd ever get out of that shower," said Dom. "Did you leave any water for the rest of us?"

String laughed. "Sorry, I guess I sort of lost track of time."

"Are you two about ready to go," asked Saint John.

"Yeah," replied String. "As soon as Cait dries her hair we should be ready."

Both Dom and Saint John looked at each other. "Oh, I see," said Dom. "No wonder it took you so long."

String grinned and continued drying his hair.

"String, we figured we'd take that box to a locksmith after we eat," said Saint John. "I've tried opening it with everything I can find around here and I haven't had any luck."

"Okay," he replied. "That sounds good to me."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA J

Just outside the beach house….

"Cole, do you think they have any idea what they've got?" asked Tanner

"I see the box sitting on the table in there," replied Tanner. "It doesn't look like they've been able to open it yet."

"I say we let them have the damn thing," said Cole. "We've had nothing but bad luck since we got it."

"Oh, now you don't believe that superstitious nonsense do you?" asked Tanner.

"Yes, I do," Cole replied. "Things were smooth sailing for us before we decided to put the goods in that box. After that, the boat stalled and the Coast Guard picked our little old boat for a random inspection. You tell me that's not bad luck. It wasn't until we had to throw it overboard that things have gotten better."

"Well, it's not really going to be any better until we get the goods back," Tanner replied. "If we don't, things are going to get a lot worse for us."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Once Caitlin was finally ready, the group went to try out the restaurant that Dom was anxious to go to. The place specialized in seafood and had a beautiful high view of the ocean.

"Wow, this place is wonderful," said Caitlin. "This was a great choice Dom."

Dom smiled. "I like that the prices on the menu aren't too unreasonable," he said.

"You would," teased String.

The group ordered and discussed the plans they had for the rest of the trip. Caitlin wanted to go sailing and Saint John thought it would be fun to do some diving.

"I'm glad we decided to come for two weeks," said Dom. "This is a vacation we all needed and deserved."

"Yeah," said Caitlin. "Except for today's accident on the boat, I've had a great time."

String took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly. "Me too," he said. "It's second only to our trip down to Sanibel."

"That's true," she replied. "That trip was great. Everything about Florida is great."

String gave her a concerned look. "Do you regret moving back from here to California?" he asked.

"Of course not," she replied. "Florida's great but it wouldn't be so wonderful if you weren't here with me."

"Oh boy," said Saint John. "Here we go again. You love birds never quit."

String laughed. "Ah, you're just jealous."

Saint John sighed. "Actually, I am," he replied. "You're a lucky man String. I don't think I've ever seen you this happy."

"Aww, Saint John," replied Caitlin. "I'm sure you'll find someone. A great catch like you won't stay single for too long."

Caitlin felt String squeeze her hand tighter at her comment. She let go of his hand and smacked him on the arm and then whispered in his ear. "You have absolutely nothing to worry about," she said. "I belong to you remember?"

String turned towards her and kissed her. "I know," he said.

"Finally," said Dom. "Our food is here."

As they ate, Caitlin noticed that Dom was eating a little too fast. "Slow down Dom," she urged. "I'm sorry I was late getting ready but you should chew your food, not inhale it."

"Hey, I can't help it that I'm starving," he replied. "I didn't come on vacation to go on a diet you know."

The others laughed. Dom was about to laugh too but stopped suddenly. The expression on his face scared Caitlin. She instantly she realized what was happening.

"Dom's choking," she yelled.

String jumped up out of his seat and helped Dom to a standing position. He quickly began the Heimlich maneuver by administering several abdominal thrusts. In a matter of moments the object was free from Dom's throat and he could breathe again.

Caitlin stood up and hugged him tightly. "Are you okay Dom?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, feeling a bit foolish. "Don't let this ruin our dinner. I'll take it slow from here on out."

"Slow is good," replied Saint John. "And don't you dare say this was caused by that box out there."

"Saint John!" yelled String. "Don't be putting ideas in his head."

Caitlin laughed as she watched Dom's expression change. "You don't have to put any ideas in my head," he said. "I know that thing brings bad luck and I don't doubt it for a second that this was caused by it."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A

After dinner the group found a local locksmith and was able to bring the box in just in time before they closed for the evening. The old man in the shop seemed to have the same reservations about the box as Dom did.

"I'll unlock it for you," he replied. "But, I won't open it. Those symbols mean that the person who opens or possesses it will have bad luck."

"See, I told you," said Dom. "I'm not the only one who believes that thing is no good."

"Fine Dom," said String. "How about we get it unlocked and wait until we get back to the beach house to open it?"

The group agreed. The man quickly unlocked the box and they headed back to the house. Saint John seemed to be the most anxious to see what was inside. They set the box on the kitchen counter.

"Okay, you do the honors Saint John," said String. "You're the one who caught it."

Saint John smiled and slowly opened the box.

"Whoa," said Dom.

"God in Heaven," said Caitlin. "That's the most beautiful jewelry I've ever seen."

The box was filled with exquisite jewelry made with Tahitian pearls.

"This is worth a lot of money," said String. "Something tells me that we need to call Michael."

"I agree," replied Saint John. "Whoever lost this is probably going to want it back."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

String made the call to Michael who was very interested in their find.

"You've stumble on something extremely important Hawke," he said. "The pearl jewelry was stolen from a vessel that was high jacked two weeks ago while transporting them. They were a token of good faith between two countries that you could say have had a tense relationship the past few years. There will be quite a reward to you for getting those back."

"What do you need us to do Michael?" asked String.

"I'll have two of my Florida operatives pick up the jewels this afternoon," he replied. "Look for two blondes in a white jeep. Put the jewels in the beach bag they bring you and keep the container you found them in."

"Why keep the container?" he asked.

"Hopefully these thieves will come looking for them," replied Michael. "You can help to catch them if they think you still have the jewels."

String protested. "Michael," he said. "We're on vacation. This is supposed to be our time to get away and relax."

"Hawke, you really have no choice," said Archangel. "You're the ones who found the jewels in the first place. Do you know if anyone saw you pull them up out of the water?"

Hawke thought for a moment. "Honestly, no" he replied. "We really weren't paying any attention. We didn't know what we had."

Michael sighed. "Maybe they have no idea who has them," he replied. "Just in case I think you should be cautious and pay attention to anyone or anything suspicious."

"Alright Michael," String said, finally giving in. "We'll let you know if anything comes up."

String relayed the information he received to the others. Within two hours, Michael's female operatives came to the house posing as two girls who were lost and needed directions. Saint John gave them the jewelry as instructed and kept the box, leaving it on the kitchen counter where they first opened it."

"I wonder what kind of reward we'll get?" asked Saint John. "At least it's something for our efforts."

"Well, I'm not worried about that," said String. "I just want to continue with my vacation. I don't need another distraction." He looked at Caitlin and smiled. "Unless it has to do with you," he continued.

Caitlin laughed. "I agree. Let's get back out to the beach."

"Great idea," replied Saint John. "I really want to get in some surfing today. One of the guys down there has an extra board that he said I could borrow."

"Oh, I didn't know you could surf," said Caitlin. "I've always wanted to learn."

Saint John smiled. "Well, let me practice some and I'll be happy to give you some lessons."

Caitlin looked at String for approval. "You two go ahead," he said. "I have a couple of phone calls I want to make. I'll be out there in a little while."

Caitlin and Saint John headed out to the beach. She put down a towel and sat just out of reach of the waves as they washed up on the shoreline. Saint John met up with the young man who offered him the board and the two headed out to try and catch some waves.

Caitlin watched him intently. Several times she yelled out "You're doing great Saint John!"

He smiled at her and paddled back out after catching several good waves and riding them into the shore. Once he was further out, he and the young friend he'd made sat and waited for the waves to increase. Caitlin watched as they pretty much sat in one spot and chatted.

"Guess sometimes you have to wait it out," she said to herself. "Still, it looks like so much fun."

As she watched, she suddenly heard Saint John yell and fall sideways off of his board. He disappeared under the water. The young man with him yelled for him and then to the life guards on the beach. Caitlin's heart skipped a beat when she heard the young man yell "Shark!"

Caitlin ran to the water's edge and decided she had to go in and help. The life guard dove in after Saint John who had finally resurfaced. Caitlin met them halfway and helped to pull Saint John back onto the beach. He had a large bite on his leg and it was bleeding pretty heavily. Caitlin could tell he was in a lot of pain.

String and Dom heard the commotion from the beach house and ran out to meet them. "Call an ambulance," said one of the lifeguards.

Within minutes, the ambulance was there to take Saint John to the hospital. Caitlin, Dom and String followed in their car.

"Don't worry String," said Caitlin who was shivering in her wet clothes. "He's going to be okay."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Saint John lay in his hospital bed hooked up to an IV for pain and antibiotics. String, Dom, and Caitlin sat around in the room waiting for the doctor to come in and let them know when he could be discharged. Caitlin had changed into some old hospital scrubs she was loaned and had finally gotten dry. After thirty minutes, the doctor finally showed up.

"Well, when can we take him home?" asked String.

"Not until tomorrow afternoon," replied the doctor. "He was very lucky that all it required is stitches but I want to make sure that infection doesn't set in."

The news depressed Saint John. "There go my diving plans tomorrow morning."

"I suggest you stay out of the water for the next few weeks," replied the doctor. "You were lucky, the last shark bite patient I had lost his whole leg."

"Yikes," replied Dom. "But I wouldn't call forty six stitches lucky. I'd say this was the work of that damn cursed box."

String sighed. "You know, I don't believe in curses but it does seem rather odd that all these bad things started happening after Saint John caught it. I think we should dump it back under water where we found it."

"I think we should wait and see if anyone comes after it first," replied Saint John.

"Okay," replied Dom. "We'll keep it a little longer and see if anyone tries to get it back. After that, I say we put it right back where we found it."

String stood up and walked over to Saint John's bedside. "Do you need anything before we head back to the beach house?"

"No, I'm fine," replied Saint John. "You guys go on back and enjoy the evening. All I'm going to do is get a little sleep." He looked at String's face and continued. "Look, don't worry about me, I'm okay."

String smiled. "Okay," he replied. "Come on you two, let's get going."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Back at the beach house Dom settle down in front of the television. String grabbed a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses while Caitlin found an old beach blanket in one of the closets.

"Dom, we're going to head out to the beach and enjoy a little moonlight," said String with a grin on his face.

Dom looked up at them from the couch. "Oh, sure, sure," he replied. "You two kids have fun. I'm just going to finish watching this old movie before going to bed."

"Have a good night Dom," said Caitlin as she followed String out the back door and onto the beach.

"You know, I feel a little guilty going out and having fun while Saint John is laid up in the hospital," said String as he walked along the wooden pathway towards the water.

"Me too," replied Caitlin. "But, I think he'd want us to do something besides sit around the house and mope."

String smiled. "You're right," he replied. "It's a beautiful night and I am going to take advantage of it."

The two walked along the beach for quite awhile until they found a secluded spot away from any houses or people. Caitlin put down the blanket and String poured them each a glass of wine.

"This reminds me of our first time together," said String. "Only I was really nervous that night."

Sting could see Caitlin's smile in the glow of the moonlight. "Really?" she asked. "I couldn't tell."

String laughed. "That's good because I was scared to death."  
"Why?" she asked.

"I didn't want to disappoint you," he replied. "We'd waited so long and to be honest, it was a lot of pressure."

"Well," she said. "I can tell you that since that night, I've never felt so happy and loved in my entire life. I love being with you."

"Me too," he replied.

String leaned over and kissed her. "We're taking a chance at getting caught out here you know," he said.

Caitlin laughed. "I guess sometimes you just have to be a little adventurous."

The two spent the rest of the evening making love under the moonlight and just laying and looking at the moon and stars. A few hours later they decided to head back to the beach house and get some sleep.

"I guess we should get back," said String. "I'm sure Dom's probably snoring away by now but just in case, I don' want him to worry about us."

Caitlin picked up the blanket and followed him back up the beach to the house.

As they got closer, something made String a little anxious. He noticed all the lights were still on in the house.

"I can't believe that Dom is still up," he said as they walked up to the back porch and opened the door.

"Oh my gosh," replied Caitlin as they walked into the door and saw that the whole kitchen and living room area had been ransacked. The box that the jewels had been in was lying on the floor and there was note left for them on the counter.

It said, "Bring the jewels to the pier at midnight tomorrow night or you'll never see the old man again."

"Damn," said String. "Well, we have our answer. They know we found the jewels."

"What are we doing to do?" asked Caitlin. "We don't have them anymore."

"We fake them out," said String. "Michael mentioned giving us knock offs when I called him back earlier today. It looks like we're going to need them."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The next morning, Caitlin awoke to find she was in bed alone. She quickly got up and walked into the living room. Hawke was pacing back and forth.

"I see you couldn't sleep," Caitlin said. "I didn't shut my eyes until the sun came up and I couldn't keep awake any longer."

"I'm just worried about him," said String. "I wish we'd stayed here last night. Three of us would have been able to stop them."

Caitlin walked over to String and put her arms around him. She hugged him tightly. "He's going to be okay," she replied. "I just know it."

"I'd feel better if I knew who we were dealing with," he replied. "But, I did call the hospital and I talked to Saint John. They're releasing him earlier than expected. We need to go in about an hour and pick him up."

"Surely he's not going with us tonight is he?" Caitlin asked. "He can't be up for something like that just yet."

String sighed. "I doubt we can stop him," he replied. "He's pretty anxious to get these guys."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AA

Later that night, one of Michael's operatives delivered the fake jewels to them. They placed them in the box and set out for the pier, not quite knowing what to expect. The three decided to tackle the situation by splitting up. Caitlin would come in from the north end of the beach, Saint John the south and String would go out onto the pier itself.

As String walked out onto the pier, he saw the two men, Cole and Tanner standing halfway towards the end. Dom was at the very end of the pier standing with his hands tied. Cole had his gun aimed at Dom while Tanner was covering String. Hawke decided not to pull out his gun for the moment.

"Drop the box right there," said Tanner. "Then, we'll walk pass each other. Once we have the box, you'll be free to go and get your friend. Any sudden moves and my buddy here will shoot the old man."

"Okay," replied String. "It's all yours."

String did as instructed. He set the box down and headed towards Dom. Tanner and Cole walked past him on the pier, picked up the box and took off running. String then ran down to the end and grabbed Dom.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Dom smiled. "I am now," he said. "But, boy I'm hungry."

String laughed. "Yeah, you're okay," he said. "Let's go and meet up with Saint John and Caitlin.

They walked back to the beach and towards the parking lot. Saint John came running up right away when he saw them. He gave Dom hug. "I'm so happy you're okay," he said. "This has been some crazy vacation. I wish I'd never caught that stupid box."

"Well, at least now you've gotten rid of it," said Dom. "Let's hope they don't bring it back."

String sighed. "Oh, they'll be back," he said. "As soon as they find out the jewels are fake, they'll be back. But, Michael will have a small army watching the beach house and they'll nab them when they come."

"Where's Caitlin?" asked Dom.

"I was just thinking the same thing," String said with a worried tone in his voice. "She should have been back over here by now."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A

Tanner and Cole pulled up in the parking lot of the old run down motel they were staying in. They grabbed the box and headed to their room. As they opened the door, they were shocked to find their boss, Mr. Redmond sitting on the bed holding a gun on Caitlin.

"What's she doing here?" asked Tanner. "We got the box back."

"You idiots," said Redmond. "You should always have a back-up plan. Did you even check the box before you brought it back?"

"Uh, no" said Cole. "We didn't."

"Give it here," demanded Redmond. He opened the box and checked out the jewels. They looked real enough.

"Alright," he said. "I'm taking these to an expert to have them checked out. In the meantime, we keep her here. If they are real, you can let her go. If not, then they will be sorry that they ever crossed us. They have no idea who they are dealing with."

"She we let them know we have her?" asked Tanner.

Redmond laughed. "Believe me," he said. "They'll figure it out soon enough."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Back at the beach house, String made a call to Michael and then turned to Dom. "Dom, Marella is on her way to pick you up. She's going to fly you back to California," he said. "I'm done playing with these guys. It's time to get the Lady."

"You got it," replied Dom. He put his hand on String's shoulder before continuing. "Look String, I know you're worried but these two guys didn't strike me as being very bright. I'm sure Caitlin will be fine."

String frowned. "Sometimes stupid people do stupid things Dom," he replied. "I won't be happy until she's right back here in my arms."

Within thirty minutes, Dom was on his way back to California. String went out on the back porch and sat as the sun was rising over the ocean. Saint John brought him a beer and sat down beside him.

"I'm exhausted," said String. "All this waiting is killing me. I would have thought they'd have contacted us by now."

"String, they're probably holding her for collateral until they find out if the jewels are real or not," said Saint John.

String sighed heavily. "That's what I'm afraid of," he said. "There's no telling what they'll do when they find out."

"We have what they want and vise versa," said Saint John. "They won't hurt her as long as we have the real jewels."

"I hope you're right," replied String. "None of this seems real you know. Here we were just having a much needed vacation and we end up in the middle of a jewel heist."

Saint John stood up and offered his hand to his brother. "Come on," he said. "You need to get some sleep. We have no idea what's in store for us tomorrow and we can't do it half asleep. Michael has his people covering the place, we'll be fine."

"I'm not worried about us," String said as he took his brother hand and was pulled to his feet. "I just pray she's okay."

"I know," replied Saint John.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 

Back at the hotel, Caitlin struggled to stay awake. She was sitting up at the head of the bed with one had cuffed to the post of the headboard. Cole and Tanner had decided to take turns watching her. Cole was asleep in the other bed while Tanner sat at the small table munching on popcorn.

"Are you hungry?" he asked her.

She sighed. "No, I'm just a little thirsty though."

Tanner got up and grabbed a soda out of the small refrigerator. He opened it and handed it to her.

"Thanks," she said.

"You know," he said. "We're not bad people. As soon as they say the jewels are real, we really will let you go."

"Why can't you just let me go now?" she asked.

"You heard me," he said. "We have to make sure they are real. Besides, I can't make that call. Our cousin is the one in charge."

"But how could we have switched them?" she asked. "We just found them in the ocean and then gave them back. My friends and I are just here on vacation."

Before she could continue, Redmond opened the door and heard the last of the conversation. "I don't know who you are little lady but these jewels are fake," he said. "You're going to pay dearly if we don't get the real ones back."

"I told you," she said. "We gave them back to you. How could we have switched them? How do you know they weren't faked in the first place?"

"She's right," said Tanner. "How do we know? What if she's telling the truth?"

"Well, we're going to find out soon enough," said Redmond. Then he turned to Caitlin. "Who do we address the letter to? We'll be sending it through a messenger service."

Caitlin didn't respond. She just stared in contempt at Redmond. He grew furious and slapped her across the face. "I said to tell me who to address this to," he repeated. "You have no choice in the matter."

"Hawke," she replied. "Just Hawke will be fine."

"Alright," he grinned. "Hawke, it is."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Several hours later String got up to answer the front door.

"I have a letter for Hawke," said the messenger. "Are you Hawke?"

"One of them," he replied as he signed for the letter.

Saint John came into the room as he shut the door. "What is it?" he asked.

"I have a feeling it's about Caitlin," replied String before opening it. "I sure hope Dom gets here soon with the Lady."

String opened the letter and read it to Saint John. The letter stated that they knew the jewels were faked and that they expected the real ones to be delivered to them late that afternoon. They were told to rent a boat and take it to a specified location. Once there, another boat would meet them and they would exchange Caitlin for the jewels.

"You're not playing with the same two idiots that took the old man," the letter clearly stated. "I have no problem putting a bullet in your lady friend's head if you try anything else. This time I'll have a specialist there who will verify if the jewels are real. You have no choice but to do as I say or else."

"I have a real bad feeling about this," said String.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Later that afternoon, Caitlin was taken aboard a cabin cruiser and forced to stay down below. The three men had decided to stay down there with her until it was time to go and meet with Hawke. Their jewel specialist, a man by the name of Jolly waited up on deck.

"Look, you might as well let me go now," she told them. "My friends gave you what they had. There's nothing else to give you."

"I'm getting a little tired of you," said Redmond. "I want you to shut up now!" He shoved her hard as he screamed at her. With her hands tied behind her back, Caitlin couldn't prevent herself from falling. She fell backwards and hit her head on the table.

"Why did you have to do that for?" asked Cole. "Red, what if she's telling the truth?"

Tanner helped a dazed Caitlin sit up onto the side seat.

"She's lying," said Redmond. "I know it. I know those jewels were real. I don't know how they got such good copies so fast but they did."

"Maybe they're better connected than we thought," said Tanner. "Have you ever thought of that? How else could they have made a switch like that?"

Caitlin was quiet as she listened to their exchange.

"No, I didn't think of that," said Redmond. "Maybe you're not so dumb after all Tanner."

Redmond stood back up and went over to Caitlin. "Who are you working for? Did you find those jewels on purpose? Were you looking for them? How did you know where to find them?" he asked all at once. "And I would take a minute and think long and hard before you answer."

"I told you everything I know," she said quietly.

"Gentlemen," said Redmond. "Go up on deck with Jolly. He could use the company."

"But Red," said Cole. "Come on now, don't do this. They may not give us the jewels if she's not in one piece."

"Oh, she'll be in one piece," he replied. "Just battered and bruised a bit."

Cole and Tanner reluctantly went up on deck leaving Redmond alone with Caitlin.

Redmond made her stand up. He turned her around. Her hands were still tied behind her back. "Let's start with this," he said as he pulled her engagement ring off of her finger. "If I can't get my jewels back, I might as well take yours."

"No!" screamed Caitlin. "I swear to you, I've told you everything I know."

Redmond turned her around and this time instead of slapping her, he punched her repeatedly on the side of her face and head. Then he threw her down allowing her to once again hit her head on the table. For a moment she thought she was about to pass out but he grabbed her and pulled her up onto the deck.

"It's about time boys," he said. "Stand her up near the back. Be sure to keep the gun on her. If Jolly here doesn't say the jewels are real, this lady will be swimming with the fishes."

Caitlin could barely see straight. She felt her eye swelling up fast and she was feeling dizzy. "Oh God, please let String get here soon," she said to herself.

Then she heard it, the sound she'd prayed she'd hear. She realized that the boat was going at a pretty quick speed and she knew what she had to do.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Aboard Airwolf, Saint John was flying as String prepared to jump into the ocean when needed.

"I pray she knows what she's supposed to do," said String. "We've only got one chance."

"She's a smart girl," said Dom. "I know she'll figure it out."

"You've got to time this just right Saint John," said String. "If not, the force from the blast could kill her."

"I can do it String," replied Saint John. "I know I can. You just get ready to jump."

In a matter of moments, Airwolf was in sight of the cabin cruiser. Caitlin looked up trying hard to see it. Her eyes were getting blurry but she fought to hold on to her senses.

"What the hell is that?" asked Redmond.

"Your worst nightmare!" screamed Caitlin as she jumped off of the back of the boat.

"Now!" yelled Hawke a few moments after he saw Caitlin jump.

Before the men could react and turn the boat around, Saint John sent a rocket into the cruiser blowing it up immediately.

String waited a few moments for Airwolf to get closer to the water before he jumped in after Caitlin. He was relieved to see her come back up to the surface quickly. She was struggling to keep her head above water since her hands were still tied behind her back.

"Caitlin!" screamed String. "Hold on, I'll get you."

Dom dropped a rescue basket down to them. After several minutes, String reached her and managed to get back to the basket. Caitlin used what was left of her energy to help String pull her in. He sat holding her as she passed out. They were lifted out of the water and flown to the nearest beach.


	10. Chapter 10

_Thanks again for all of the reviews. I can't believe I've completed twelve stories. :o)_

**Chapter 10**

The next morning String sat in Caitlin's hospital room and held her hand. Her face was bruised on one side and her eye was slightly swollen. He thought she looked better than she did the night before. She had been unconscious since they brought her in. The doctor told them that she didn't have a concussion. She was mainly suffering from exhaustion as well as being slightly dehydrated.

When Caitlin woke up, String was smiling at her and squeezing her hand.

"Hey there," he said. "How're you feeling?"

Caitlin looked at him for a moment and then tears started rolling down her cheeks.

"What's the matter?" he asked. "Everything's okay now. You're going to be fine."

He stood up and sat on the side of her bed and leaned over and kissed her. "Shh… everything's okay Cailtin, please don't cry," he begged.

Caitlin continued to sob before finally speaking up. "It's gone," she said. "He took my ring. Now it's gone."

String leaned over and pulled her into a hug. "I know," he said. "I noticed it was gone."

"I'm so sorry String," she said. "I know it was your grandmother's. I couldn't stop him."

"It's okay Caitlin," he replied.

"But, you loved that ring," she said.

"I loved you wearing it," he replied kissing her once more. "I loved what it stood for but you're the one I love. The ring can be replaced, you can't."

"I loved wearing it too," she said quietly.

String eased her back down on the pillow and sat back up. "When we get back to California, how about we go shopping and get you a new one?" he asked. "You can help pick this one out."

Caitlin smiled at him. "Okay, I'd love that," she replied.

"Good, then it's settled," String said. "No more tears okay?"

"Okay," she replied. "I just want to get out of this hospital and get on with my vacation."

"Oh, I think that can be arranged," he said with a grin. "Actually, the doctor said he would try to release you later this afternoon. Dom and Saint John want to go out fishing again in the morning."

"I think I've had my share of boats for awhile," replied Caitlin. "Can we do something on land?"

"Sure, of course we can," he replied. "You can always try on that bikini again. It's a lot of fun to take off."

"Very funny," Caitlin said with a grin.

String felt relieved at seeing her smile. A few minutes later, Saint John and Dom came in to see her.

"You look a lot better," said Dom. "You sure are one gutsy lady to have jumped from that boat like that."

Caitlin smiled. "Thanks Dom," she replied. "I knew as soon as I saw Airwolf and not a boat that I had no other choice."

"Well, we're glad your okay," said Saint John.

"I heard you're going fishing tomorrow morning," said Caitlin. "I thought you had enough of the water by now."

"Oh no," replied Dom. "Now that we got rid of that dang box, we should be able to catch a lot of fish this time around."

"Dom, that box was not jinxed," said String.

"I don't know String," replied Saint John. "I'm beginning to think that Dom was right."

"How's that?" asked String.

"Well, they had the box and they ended up with all the back luck in the end," he said. "I got them in one shot and it was perfect. Caitlin was just far enough away that she wasn't hurt. I call that lucky."

"Me too," said Dom.

String looked at Caitlin and smiled. "I give up," he said. "Okay, it was bad luck. Hopefully it's now buried so far beneath the surface that no one will ever see it again."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAA

The next day, Dom and Saint John left really early for their fishing outing. String rolled over in bed and noticed he was alone. He heard Caitlin rattling around in the bathroom.

"Caitlin?" he asked. "Is everything okay?"

He heard her mumbling about something and decided to get up and check on her. When he walked in to the bathroom she was staring in the mirror.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he walked up behind her and put his arms around her.

"Oh, it's these stupid bruises." She said. "I look horrible."

String pulled her tightly to him and kissed the back of her neck. "Caitlin, it'll heal," he said. "Besides, you're always beautiful to me."

Caitlin laughed. "I see you're learning some things about women," she teased. "You're getting better at saying the right things at the right time."

String let go of her and turned her around to face him. He gently cupped her face before kissing her. "I meant every word," he said afterwards. "Now go and put that bikini back on!"

"String!" Caitlin yelled while slightly blushing. "Oh, okay."

A few minutes later Caitlin came back out of the bathroom wearing the string bikini. String smiled as she jumped back on the bed with him.

"Oh no," said String.

"What?" asked Caitlin before she heard it as well.

"String?" yelled Dom. "Hey String, where are you?"

"Stay right there," he told Caitlin as he got up and went into the other room, shutting the door behind him as he went.

"Dom, what are you two doing here?" he asked. "I thought you went fishing?"

"We did," replied Dom. "We were out there for three hours and didn't catch a thing. Turns out, the fishing had nothing to do with the box."

"I told you that," said Saint John.

"I don't believe you two," replied String. "But what I do believe is that the two of you are going to go back out and find something to do for the next two hours."

"Two hours?" asked Dom. "Why?"

String gave a look to Saint John who caught on immediately. "Uh, I'll explain it to you on the way out Dom," said Saint John. "Come on. We can go and check out the boardwalk."

As soon as they left, String quickly headed back to the bedroom. He opened the door and stood there staring at Caitlin. She was sound asleep.

String sighed. "Oh well," he said as he crawled into bed with her and pulled her close to him.

**The End**


End file.
